42 U.S. Code § 4361c - Staff management

(1)The Administrator is authorized to select and appoint up to 75 full-time permanent staff members in the Office of Research and Development to pursue full-time educational programs for the purpose of

(A) securing an advanced degree or

(B) securing academic training, for the purpose of making a career change in order to better carry out the Agency’s research mission.

(2)The Administrator shall select and appoint staff members for these assignments according to rules and criteria promulgated by him. The Agency may continue to pay the salary and benefits of the appointees as well as reasonable and appropriate relocation expenses and tuition.

(3)The term of each appointment shall be for up to one year, with a single renewal of up to one year in appropriate cases at the discretion of the Administrator.

(4)Staff members appointed to this program shall not count against any Agency personnel ceiling during the term of their appointment.

(b) Post-doctoral research fellows

(1)The Administrator is authorized to appoint up to 25 Post-doctoral Research Fellows in accordance with the provisions of section
213.3102(aa) of title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(2)Persons holding these appointments shall not count against any personnel ceiling of the Agency.

(c) Non-Government research associates

(1)The Administrator is authorized and encouraged to utilize research associates from outside the Federal Government in conducting the research, development, and demonstration programs of the Agency.

(2)These persons shall be selected and shall serve according to rules and criteria promulgated by the Administrator.

(d) Women and minority groups

For all programs in this section, the Administrator shall place special emphasis on providing opportunities for education and training of women and minority groups.

Section was enacted as part of the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1979, and not as part of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 which comprises this chapter.

Contracts by Office of Research and Development of the Environmental Protection Agency

Pub. L. 108–7, div. K, title III, Feb. 20, 2003, 117 Stat. 509, provided in part: “That the Office of Research and Development of the Environmental Protection Agency may hereafter contract directly with individuals or indirectly with institutions or nonprofit organizations, without regard to 41 U.S.C. 5 [see 41 U.S.C. 6101], for the temporary or intermittent personal services of students or recent graduates, who shall be considered employees for the purposes of chapters 57 and 81 of title
5, United States Code, relating to compensation for travel and work injuries, and chapter
171 of title
28, United States Code, relating to tort claims, but shall not be considered to be Federal employees for any other purposes.”